Huqin

The Huqin family of instruments is a group of bowed string instruments popular in Chinese music. These instruments have a round, hexagonal, or octagonal sound box at the bottom with a neck that goes up. They usually have two strings and are covered with snakeskin or thin wood. The tuning pegs are attached horizontally through holes in the neck, and the bow hair usually passes between the strings.

The most common types of Huqin include the erhu, zhonghu, and gaohu. There are also lower-pitched instruments like the dahu and gehu, and a high-pitched one called the jinghu used in Beijing opera. Over eighty different kinds of Huqin instruments have been found.

Huqin instruments are thought to have come from the nomadic Hu people, who lived far from ancient Chinese kingdoms. They may have descended from an instrument called the Xiqin. In the 20th century, new large bass Huqin like the dihu and gehu were made for modern Chinese orchestras. Similar instruments are also used in countries like Mongolia, Korea, and Japan.

List of Chinese huqin instruments

Here is a list of different types of huqin instruments, which are bowed string instruments popular in Chinese music. Each has its own special name and use:

• Erhu (二胡); also called nanhu
• Erquanqin (二泉琴); slightly larger erhu
• Gaohu (高胡); also called yuehu
• Banhu (板胡)
• Jinghu (京胡)
• Jing erhu (京二胡)
• Zhonghu (中胡)
• Yehu (椰胡)
• Erxian (二弦)
• Tiqin (提琴)
• Tihu (提胡)
• Daguangxian (大广弦)
• Datong (大筒)^photo
• Datongxian (大筒弦)^photo
• Kezaixian (壳仔弦) - two-stringed fiddle with coconut body, used in Taiwan opera
• Hexian (和弦)
• Huluhu
• Maguhu
• Tuhu (土胡)
• Jiaohu (角胡)
• Zhuihu
• Zhuiqin
• Leiqin (雷琴)
• Sihu (四胡)
• Sanhu (三胡)
• Liuhu (六胡)
• Dahu (大胡)
• Dihu (低胡)
  • Xiaodihu (小低胡)
  • Zhongdihu (中低胡)
  • Dadihu (大低胡)
• Cizhonghu
• Gehu (革胡)
  • Diyingehu (低音革胡)
• Laruan (拉阮)
  • Dalaruan (大拉阮)
• Paqin (琶琴)
  • Dapaqin (大琶琴)
• Xiqin (奚琴)
• Niutuiqin or niubatui (牛腿琴 or 牛巴腿) (Guizhou)
• Matouqin (馬頭琴) (Inner Mongolia)
• Aijieke (艾捷克) (Xinjiang)
• Sataer (萨它尔) (Xinjiang)
• Shaoqin (韶琴) an electric erhu

Related instruments in other Asian nations

Cambodia

• Tro che (Cambodia)
• Tro Khmer (Cambodia)
• Tro sau thom (Cambodia)
• Tro sau toch (Cambodia)
• Tro u (Cambodia)
• Tro Ou Chamhieng (Cham people, Cambodia)

Indonesia

• Kongahyan (Indonesia)
• Tehyan (Indonesia)
• Sukong (Indonesia)

Sukong, Tehyan, and Kongahyan are three similar instruments. They differ only in size and tuning. The Sukong has a lower tuning (A and E), the Tehyan has the tuning of D and A, and the Kongahyan, the smallest of the three, has the highest tuning (G and D). These three are used throughout the island of Java and Bali for performances like "Gambang Keromong", "Lenong", "Ondel-ondel", and "Topeng Betawi".

Japan

• Kokyū (Japan) (though this is actually descended from the rebab and related instruments, through South East Asia and the Ryukyu islands)

Korea

• Haegeum (Korea; derived from the Xiqin)
  • Sohaegeum (North Korea)
  • Junghaegeum (North Korea)
  • Daehaegeum (North Korea)
  • Jeohaegeum (North Korea)

Kyrgyzstan/Kazakhstan

• kyl kiak (Kobyz)

Mongolia

• Morin khuur (Mongolia)
• Sihu (Mongolia)

Thailand

• Saw (Thailand)
  • Saw duang (Thailand)
  • Saw u (Thailand)
  • Saw sam sai (Thailand)
  • Saw peep or saw krapawng (northeast Thailand)
  • Saw bong (northeast Thailand)

Tuva

• Byzaanchy
• Igil

Vietnam

• Đàn gáo (Vietnam)
• Đàn hồ (Vietnam; hồ derives from Chinese hu)
• Đàn nhị or Đàn Cò (Vietnam)